Hawaii-2019-HR45-Introduced

WHEREAS, born in Honolulu, Hawaii, on August 4, 1961, to a mother from Kansas and a father from Kenya, Barack H. Obama's inspirational and noteworthy path to service as the 44^th President of the United States is grounded in his life experiences, hard work, and his personal character; and

WHEREAS, former President Barack Obama's experience in his young life has global roots in Hawaii, Indonesia, and the mainland United States; and

WHEREAS, in his first published book, the autobiography Dreams From My Father, then-Illinois State Senator Barack Obama wrote extensively about his childhood and youth in Hawaii and the profound impact that coming of age in Honolulu's unique multicultural society had on his identity and sense of place in the world; and

WHEREAS, by the time he graduated from Punahou School in 1979, Barack Obama had distinguished himself on the basketball court and in the classroom and had formed lasting friendships that have persisted throughout his life; and

WHEREAS, young Barack Obama's early life in Honolulu was characterized by experiences that are familiar to many in Hawaii: He was raised in a multigenerational, multicultural household by his maternal grandparents, his parents met while both were students and came from opposite ends of the world to attend the University of Hawaii, and his strong family bonds were a central factor in his path to achievement; and

WHEREAS, after graduating from Columbia University in New York City, Barack Obama worked as a community organizer in Chicago before enrolling in Harvard Law School in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where he became the first African-American President of the Harvard Law Review; and

WHEREAS, after working his way through college and law school with the help of scholarships and student loans, Barack Obama moved to Chicago where he worked with a group of churches to help rebuild communities devasted by the closure of local steel plants; and

WHEREAS, upon graduating from law school, Barack Obama returned to Chicago to help lead a voter registration drive, teach constitutional law at the University of Chicago, and remain active in the community; and

WHEREAS, this community organizer, civil rights attorney, lecturer, and professor would go on to serve in the Illinois State Senate from 2005 to 2008, and then be elected President of the United States for two terms, becoming the first African-American to serve as Commander-in-Chief; and

WHEREAS, former President Barack Obama's achievements are particularly notable in the areas of health care, climate and energy, American leadership, economic progress, equality, and social progress, and include signing the Affordable Care Act, passing the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, joining the Paris Agreement on climate change, passing the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, stimulating the U.S. automobile industry, and receiving the 2009 Noble Peace Prize; and

WHEREAS, former President Barack Obama has maintained close personal and family ties to Hawaii, returning each year for the holidays with his family and friends to enjoy Hawaii and the Aloha Spirit; and

WHEREAS, former President Barack Obama's leadership, accomplishments, and powerful, inspiring messages to Americans as the 44^th President of the United States are worthy of special recognition; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Thirtieth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2019, that the Director of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism is requested to convene a task force to develop and implement initiatives that recognize and honor former United States President Barack H. Obama, his historic legacy, and his impact on the Nation and the State; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force comprise the following individuals or their respective designees:

(1) The Governor;

(2) The Senate President;

(3) The Speaker of the House of Representatives;

(4) The Director of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism;

(5) The President and Chief Executive Officer of the Hawaii Tourism Authority;

(6) The Chief Executive Officer of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs;

(7) The President of the University of Hawaii;

(8) The Mayor of the City and County of Honolulu;

(9) The Mayors of the Counties of Hawaii, Kauai, and Maui; and

(10) A member of the community, preferably with expert knowledge on former President Barack Obama, to be appointed by the Governor; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force members are requested to select a chairperson of the task force from among the membership; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force members are to serve without compensation, but may be reimbursed for expenses, including travel expenses, incurred in the performance of their duties; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force is requested to examine:

(1) The entity best suited to serve as the planning agency for all state-sponsored events and the coordinating agency for all state-sponsored and other events for the purpose of honoring former President Barack Obama;

(2) The solicitation of funding from private and public sources for the purposes of paragraph (1);

(3) The acceptance of any appropriations from the State, the counties, the federal government, foreign and intergovernmental agencies, and non-governmental agencies for the purposes of paragraph (1); and

(4) The acceptance of donations of money and personal property and services from private and public sources; provided that all such donations are recorded and appropriately accounted for; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force is requested to submit a report of its progress, proposed activities, plans, and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2020; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Governor; Senate President; Speaker of the House of Representatives; Director of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism; President and Chief Executive Officer of the Hawaii Tourism Authority; Chief Executive Officer of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs; President of the University of Hawaii; Mayor of the City and County of Honolulu; and the respective Mayors of the Counties of Hawaii, Kauai, and Maui.

	OFFERED BY:	_____________________________

Report Title:

President Barack H. Obama; Task Force

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.R. NO.	45
THIRTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2019
STATE OF HAWAII